In my last post I wrote about what responsible travel means and listed down three main principles of this concept, and today we are going to dive deeper into the first one – promoting environmental stewardship.
This one might actually be the easiest to live! The importance of protecting the environment has been pointed out so many times that it’s almost automatically on our minds, especially in the last couple of decades. My generation grew up seeing the “Save the planet!” posters and celebrating Earth Day or World Oceans Day in schools. Greenpeace is no longer the only one promoting change – we see stories about the environment and how it’s changing and being affected by human actions all the time on the news, in social media, even from our neighbors – almost everyone will have something to say about climate change or recycling.
Environmental Stewardship and You
But what happens when we travel? Do we still think about protecting the environment or we leave that concept behind?
It doesn’t take much to leave an impact, a greener footprint behind us, even if we are constantly on the go. I have met people who went zero waste or built their own recycling setups, self sustaining houses etc. but the truth is, you don’t have to do all that. It doesn’t matter whether you have a lot of resources or time, you can still help the environment a lot. There is no need to go extreme but there are also no excuses for jumping over some easy tricks to take care of our planet. Here are some suggestions that will make a difference.
Reduce single-use plastics
Before every trip we usually think about packing smart and easier so we don’t end up dragging heavy weight around. That’s when you can revise your packing list and how much of it is single-use plastics. Instead of packing five items of single-use plastics, maybe you can bring one that’s reusable. You will not only help the environment but also yourself, creating more space and carrying a lighter weight preventing back pain.
One big element here concerns water – those bottles we buy and carry around, especially in places where tap water is not safe to drink. What can be a perfect solution there is to get a reusable water bottle that contains a water filter. This makes it easy for you to just grab some water wherever you are. The filter inside the bottle will clean it up for you so you can again protect your health alongside thinking about the environment. You see, taking care of the environment actually has a direct and immediate impact on us and our health too. It’s not only the long term benefits that we might or might not notice.
Another great way to be a green traveler is to bring reusable bags and utensils with you. Furthermore, when purchasing goods locally make sure to focus on sustainable and long lasting materials rather than disposable single-use plastic.
Choose greener transportation options
Whenever possible try to use buses, trains, shared cars, cycling, and electric vehicles (including motorcycles and mopeds) for getting around. These are all great transportation options for reducing your carbon footprint.
Of course, it is not always possible to do so, especially for longer distances or cross continent trips, so at some point you will take a plane. And that’s totally fine. However, there’s a little trick in there too. Since 25% of airplane emissions occur during takeoff and landing, it’s better to choose flights with fewer connections. Again, less hassle and draining layover time for you, better for the environment. Win-win ☺
Reduce water usage
In many countries around the world, businesses and services related to tourism sector use a disproportionate amount of water. This is mainly due to extensive landscaping, usage of pools, water parks etc. Although you can’t do much about that individually, you can influence your own water usage. Take a shower rather than a bath – even though an occasional pampering session is beneficial for your self care routine. Turn the water off when you are not using it like during shampooing phase, when brushing your teeth or washing the dishes in between rinsing.
If you have some leftover water that you will not use, instead of pouring it down the drain, you can water some plants at/around your house or in a nearby park. When choosing accommodation or other tourist services, you could also try to select businesses that promote sustainable water usage policies.
Reduce waste
If every person on the planet created the same amount of waste as a person on vacation does, we would need eight worlds to hold all of the trash! It is incredible how much waste people create when they are travelling. So, as frequent travellers, be conscientious of how much waste you are creating, especially when shopping and dining.
When in nature, be careful of where you walk, don’t litter and don’t start fires especially during dry season. The best option is to bring a reusable canvas bag with you for your trash. Then you have a convenient way to keep it until you find waste containers. If you are by the sea, don’t throw anything in the ocean, not even food. Even if it is biodegradable, it still affects the marine food chain. Fish are not supposed to eat cookies or fruit, or a leftover ham sandwich. Even if you stay in a place for a short time (weekend getaways and day trips), still separate the trash. Whenever possible, leave it in designated bins for recycling as if you were at home.
If you are a smoker, carry a reusable pocket ashtray to keep your cigarette butts until you find a dustbin.
Volunteer
Join a local NGO that organizes activities such as planting trees, cleaning up of spaces like parks, woods or beaches. Apart from the seaweed and the trash people leave behind, there is so much garbage being washed up on shores, from bottles to truck tires – almost anything you can think of. Which points back to the above-mentioned reminder of not throwing anything into the ocean.
NGOs also often organize workshops locally to help people learn more about recycling. They teach them how to minimize their waste production and become more aware of the issues at hand. Maybe you can leave your green trace in hosting a workshop or participating in talks about environmental protection.
Doing some volunteer work is also a great way to make friends, since you meet a lot of new people who share the same interests. It can be fun, motivating and highly enriching for you at the same time as you enrich your new community.
I hope these few suggestions help you assess
your impact on the environment and provide you with some new tricks to implement. As you could see, by helping the planet you are instantaneously helping yourself and you will see and feel many benefits as a result.
After all, we are meant to live in harmony with nature, and not against it.
Next time we will be looking at the second principle of responsible travel – producing inclusive economic growth. So follow us on Facebook and Instagram ready my post next week☺
by Antonija Bosanac
Antonija was born and raised in Split, Croatia. Now a restless traveller gone digital nomad in 2019, she’s passionate about building communities, volunteer work, education and human & civil rights. Currently working as a coach in the field of interpersonal communication and self development, she’s promoting change through individual work with clients; as well as being en route to getting a degree in psychotherapy. For her current location, check her Instagram profile.
